Zac confidently takes another few steps away from the Wildcats of East High in an amiable showcase for his talents.
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12/08/09
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Me and Orson Welles (2009)
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Reviews Counted:70
Fresh:57
Rotten:13
Average Rating:6.9/10
Consensus: Me and Orson Welles boasts a breakout performance by Christian McKay and an infectious love of the backstage drama that overcomes its sometimes fluffy tone.
Rated: 12A [See Full Rating]
Genre: Dramas
Theatrical Release:04-12-2009
Synopsis: ME AND ORSON WELLES, Richard Linklater's new coming of age feature set in 1937 stars Disney teen throb Zac Efron, star of High School Musical, who stretches himself as an actor playing the young... [More]
Reviews for Me and Orson Welles
A really satisfying backstage drama, this is an exhilarating tour around a man whose talent was almost as big as his ego.
12/04/09
Top CriticThere’s a strong ensemble flavour, characterised by the simultaneously selfish and clubbable tendencies of the actors, which makes for a lightly comic experience but also for a portrait of a theatre company that feels warm and true.
12/04/09
Top CriticIt's slight but it more than satisfies whenever Christian McKay's Welles is to the fore.
12/04/09
Top CriticThe film fails as a character portrait, a drama or a snapshot of an era, while simultaneously offering tantalising hints of each. Apart from watching the rising star McKay strut his stuff, there’s little to recommend in Me and Orson Welles.
12/04/09
Top CriticAs so often with films reverently dealing with theatre folk, the directing itself becomes exasperatingly theatrical and inert.
12/04/09
Top CriticA characteristic Richard Linklater film. And Richard Linklater films are characteristically very good indeed.
12/04/09
Top CriticCleverly employing the florid self-consciousness of the theatre world into which it offers us a glimpse, Me and Orson Welles elicits an irresistible grin.
12/04/09
There's no doubt that Me And Orson Welles is a sharp contrast to Efron's Disney days and will probably not appeal to his younger fans.
12/04/09
A thoroughly enjoyable wheeze, bobbing along to a jaunty score (cue Jools Holland cameo) and blessed with moments of knowing wit.
12/04/09
A diverting period comedy-drama, but slight compared to Linklater at his sharpest. Worth catching, though, for newcomer Christian McKay’s magisterial portrayal of the young Welles in all his moody, manipulative glory.
12/04/09
If there are romantic comedy elements to what is one of the eclectic Linklater’s finest films yet, these are outweighed by a stellar character study.
12/04/09
The highlight is McKay, who conjures the bluster and charisma of Welles, as well as bearing an uncanny physical resemblance to the boy-genius. But the screenplay reveals little about his mercurial character.
12/04/09
Zac Efron proves again that he's more than a pretty face in this period charmer, but the performance you'll remember to the end of your days is from an unknown British actor called Christian McKay.
12/04/09
It's so dull. While some actors have praised the movie for its accurate portrayal of backstage life, if you haven't trodden the boards it's much harder to get caught up in the A-to-B dramas facing the troupe, or Richard and Sonja's affair.
12/04/09
[Christian McKay] supercharges the scenes he's in and captures both the brilliance and ego that Welles was famous for.
12/04/09
Look at Mackay. Look at the handsome-pudgy features, listen to the rolling bass voice, appraise the twinkling eye, marvel at the offhand flourishes of the titanic frame. This is Welles.
12/04/09
Christian McKay's performance in the title role measures up to that extraordinariness, both inhabiting Welles's magnetic, overweening personality and approximating a decent physical likeness.
12/04/09
Zac Efron may be the bait that tempts you to see this tale of theatre life and moral dilemma but is it Christian McKay’s amazing Welles that leaves you searching for the superlatives and singing the film’s praises.
12/04/09
Comedy is never any good when it simply goes for laughs — and Linklater and his company have managed something of serious intent very well.
12/04/09
Latest News for Me and Orson Welles
November 29, 2009:
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November 24, 2009:
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September 16, 2009:
Me and Orson Welles Finally Heads to Theaters
"Me and Orson Welles" has been out of sight since earning positive reviews at last year's Toronto International Film Festival -- but it's heading to screens now, under an... More...
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